Successful Foundation for Life campaign entertaining funding requests
by Ana Watts
With $15,000 in hand, A Foundation for Life fund is entertaining 
funding requests from several parishes. Puppetry materials, digital projectors, and funding for ministry assessment are among the requests received to date. And there is still time to donate to the fund as well as to apply for funding.
“We are delighted with the success of our inaugural efforts,” says the Ven. David Edwards of Saint John who oversees the annual congregational development fund campaign. “We are most grateful to those New Brunswick Anglicans who are encouraging, with their contributions, the kind of innovative, risk-taking projects that will help this diocese make disciples. As we review the requests and allocate the money, we will watch for new donations and requests as well. If the numbers add-up, we can make more grants.”
Puppet ministries engage the young and the old, and often deliver profound messages with humour and simplicity. And screens are a way of life for young people. With a digital projector a parish can strengthen youth worship and draw new young people to the church.
“One of the parishes that would like funding for a digital projector already has youth worship services, but feels they would be enhanced by the familiar screen environment. They are also planning worship events for youth from several other churches in their area as well as for youth in the community who do not have a church. A projector is more than technology for this parish, it is a tool for evangelism,” says Archdeacon Edwards.
Another parish would rather put the liturgy and the hymns on a screen with a projector than to pass out a library to people as they enter the church. “Newcomers are often intimidated by our books and some of the skipping around they need to do in order to follow the service. This parish has seen a lot of growth lately and feels it can sustain or even enhance that growth with a hands-free worship experience.
“The parish seeking funding to assess ministry in a particular area wants to understand the community needs as they actually exist before it embarks on a ministry plan.”
A Foundation for Life is an integral part of the diocese’s Nicodemus Project — committed to spiritual, numerical and financial growth through re-learning Anglicanism, preparing leadership, supporting struggling parishes and taking stock of our mission and ministry with a willingness to change what we do if necessary. A Foundation for Life asks for an annual $25 donation, above the regular offering, from every adult New Brunswick Anglican, and $5 from every Anglican child. All the money collected this year will be dispersed to fund innovative mission and ministry. Fresh donations are sought each year to support new opportunities, and the money is not earmarked only for parish initiatives. Church groups, deaneries and even archdeaconries with exciting ideas for growth may also apply for funds.
Donations and requests for funding may be sent to A Foundation for Life, 115 Church Street, Fredericton, E3B 4C8.
“As I said before,” says Archdeacon Edwards, “A Foundation for Life gives each of us the opportunity to see that we are not giving to the church, we are giving to God. It takes us beyond our local issues and helps us to appreciate that all things come from God and we give him but his own.”
The Ven. David Edwards is rector of Stone Church and Archdeacon of Saint John.
